


Nihachu went out with a bang

by arfrid



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cara | Captain Puffy Needs a Hug, F/F, Feels, NIKI??, Niki | Nihachu Needs a Hug, Puffychu! :DD, bisexuals, niki? - Freeform, oh my fucking god she fucking dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28610022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arfrid/pseuds/arfrid
Summary: Puffy fought, not for L'Manberg, but for Niki.She fights against Dream's tyranny, who she had looked after for years before realizing who he really was, only for Dream to destroy the one good thing she had left.
Relationships: Cara | CaptainPuffy/Niki | Nihachu, Niki | Nihachu & Ranboo
Comments: 12
Kudos: 116





	1. Chapter 1

“How you holding up?” Puffy asked, slightly out of breath, crouching behind the obsidian to avoid the arrows flying overhead.

“Good-” Niki grunted from the other side. She knocked another arrow and aimed it towards the attacks – not in any area, specifically, just towards them. Puffy felt bad. Niki was never a fighter. She was a lover, not a fighter.

That apparently didn’t stop her from fighting anyways. And Puffy was basically making hearteyes at her during the fight.

“ _Just another minute!_ ” Comes Tommy’s strained voice from Puffy’s comms. Puffy rolls her eyes loaded her crossbow, aiming it carefully at Sapnap, on the other side. She was about to fire when a pain exploded in her arm.

She cried out, dropping the crossbow and clutching her shoulder – which now had an arrow sticking out of it.

She was used to seeing blood, of course, from being  _Captain_ Puffy, and all. Still, the sight of the arrow firmly lodged into her shoulder made her vision hazy.

She shook her head, clearing her vision. She needed to fight this.

_For Niki_ .

“PUFFY!” Niki’s voice rang out, sharp and clear and distinct from everything else. The arrows stopped moving, and Niki probably thought it safest to run at that time.

Puffy glanced up at the attackers, and saw Sapnap pulling a crossbow with a firework at the end of it, aimed straight at Niki.

Puffy didn’t have time to warn her.

The explosion racked out, and the Baker went flying into the air, and her body slammed at the obsidian hold behind them.

For a brilliant, breathtaking moment, Niki was still breathing.

Then another colorful explosion covered Niki’s body.

“NIKI!” Puffy yelled, and ran towards the smoke without conscious thought. She vaguely heard the sound of the Dream Team arguing behind her, but Puffy’s full attention was on Niki.

When the smoke cleared, and she saw what she saw, her eyes glistened with tears.

A distinct smelling magic – not quite smoke, not quite air – was floating upwards. There, laid down on the ground, was all of Niki’s items, possessions, like any player did when they died.

_ No. _

There was the sound of demands and questions from the comms –  _what happened, are you two okay, we heard an explosion –_ but it was all muffled to Puffy’s ears.

Then there was silence as the message was displayed in the corner of everyone’s eyes.

_** Nihachu went off with a bang. ** _

All of Puffy’s senses must have been lying – Niki would respawn and wave cheerfully and eagerly rejoin the battle, she must, she would never leave Puffy waiting.

As Puffy internally refused to acknowledge Niki’s- Niki’s-

_ Death _ ..

She noticed a certain item in Niki’s inventory.

A certain promise ring.

That was when all of it hit her.

Niki was dead.

No longer would she and her joke about Discount Skeppy, or- or bake together, no longer would Puffy inhale the sweet smell of flowers whenever she was around the Baker. 

It all came rushing far too quickly, and she got down on her knees, grabbed the promise ring and sobbed.

No-one dared make a move. No-one even made a sound.

Puffy could distantly hear Ghostbur saying something, but she was too broken to know what it might have been.

She collected all of Niki’s items – discarding most of her own to make space for them.

Then there were footsteps.

Puffy glared darkly. Who  _ dared _ interrupt this moment? Who  _ dared _ interrupt the last moment where Puffy could smell Niki’s flowery smell before it disappeared forever.

“Holy shit,” Came the voice she used to love, now loathed. “Puffy- I’m- I’m so sorry-”

In a single motion, Puffy turned, grabbed onto Dream’s clothes, slammed him against the wall, and stabbed his hand with one of her swords.

  
He let out an anguished cry. She didn’t care. She snapped his mask off, exposing an ugly scar across his entire face, and a smaller one over the bridge of his nose. She snapped the mask over her knee, and he gasped. His eyes held something she never though they’d possess – fear.

“Give me ONE GOOD reason why I should spare you?” She laughed manically. “Maybe I should kill you the same way you killed Niki!”

Dream flinched. “Puffy- Please.”

“What the fuck made you think she deserved that?” She shouted. “She did nothing but GOOD in the world! She’s- She _was_ the kindest person I’d ever met! And she helped, and she made the most killer cookies-”

Puffy held in the tears, determined not to break down while confronting Dream.

She brought out a netherite axe  and held it against his throat.

Dream’s expression was lost, desperate. Puffy ignored how it grabbed at her heartstrings.

“Please, Puffy- I never meant for this to happen, I-”

Puffy laughed another manic laugh. Everyone backed away a few paces.

“You didn’t mean for Wilbur to go insane? You didn’t mean to almost bring a _fucking sixteen-year-old kid to suicide?!_ ” She demanded. “You didn’t mean for my excuse of a brother to imprison Niki? Hurt everyone? You’ve done nothing but bad, you _monster_!”

She sliced down on the shoulder with her axe, and in one clean swipe it came off. Dream yelled and went down to the ground. There was the sound of weapons arming, bows knocking, but Dream called them off.

Dream looked up at her. 

Puffy knew he wouldn’t die. Not really. He was some kind of god, never being able to fully die.

She let her face soften as she looked at his young, scared, hopeless face, and for a second she saw a spark of who he used to be – a young little boy, barely twelve years old, who looked up at her like she meant the world to him.

That Dream was gone.

Puffy leaned down, grabbed his head by both the sides.

“I’m sorry.” He said, his eyes full of sincerity.

Puffy didn’t let any emotion shine through except rage. “It’s not me you should be apologizing to.”

And with that, she cracked his neck.

He stayed limp for a few seconds, then his items littered the floor. The smell of battle lingered upwards, flying up across the atoms.

None of the items laid on the floor had any meanings. They were just trophies. When the real trophy was in her hand all along.

S he unfurled her fist, and saw a broken promise ring. 

A broken promise of a date that Niki would never experience.

* * *

A funeral was to be held for Niki on the 8 th , the day after the day after the day that Niki died.

Puffy didn’t come out of her room. It smelt like Niki, still, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend Niki was laying right by her, her presence there was enough to make Puffy smile faintly.

She only ate Niki’s goods, and only drank occasionally, when needed or forced to by the others.

There had been multiple attempts of interventions, none of which succeeded. 

Eventually, there was a knock on the door.

“Puffy? You sure this is her house?”

It was Fundy.

“Yes, it says it on the sign.”

And Ranboo.

The two closest to Niki.

Puffy almost sobbed again, but managed to keep herself under control as she hoarsely called out, “What?”

There was silence, then Ranboo’s voice shakily replied.

“It’s time. We need- We need to say goodbye to Niki.”

Puffy hesitated. For a moment, she hesitated.

It would be like any other funeral – black suits and dresses, everyone exchanging stories of Niki (which might not be so bad), a sad, mopey atmosphere.

Puffy didn’t like funerals.

She didn’t like goodbyes in general, but she always refused point-blank to go to any funeral, even if it was for someone close. She barely listened during her own brother’s funeral. It would make the goodbye permanent.

Except that this was for someone she knew and trusted more than anyone and anything she’d ever known.

If she respected Niki at all, she would go.

So she agreed to go.

She didn’t change outfits – mainly cause she didn’t like wearing black, but also cause she knew that Niki wouldn’t want Puffy to change herself for her.

The funeral was as expected,  but they had chosen a great picture of Niki – one of Niki’s famous smiles, directed straight at the camera. Even now, when Niki was gone, it still made her heart flutter ever so slightly.   
  
Ghostbur’s appearance was a nice surprise. He floated off nearby, looking extremely lost. More than once, Puffy had to restrain the urge to jump up and give him directions.

She also saw somebody unwelcome there. He and his team stood at a fair distance, but Puffy’s grip on her sword tightened all the same. Sapnap looked guilty, remorseful. George had a pitying look. Dream stood silently, paying his respects all the same.

Techno sat near the back. He didn’t say anything, and he looked sad, at least as sad a pig anarchist can look, anyways. 

When it was Ranboo’s turn for a speech as Niki’s brother, he nearly burst out crying mid-speech. Puffy gave it her all, describing in detail how great Niki was, and how she had changed everyone for the better. Tubbo and Tommy said their tearful goodbyes. Ghostbur stepped up. He didn’t give a long speech, but he noted how nice Niki’s goods were, and how she always smelled like flowers and how her smile could light up any room, even during a war.

At the end, Sapnap saluted,  Dream did something resembling a wave , and George  nodded in acknowledgment.

They exchanged stories about Niki, showed each other gifts that Niki had sent, but Puffy sat to the side, grabbing one of Niki’s cakes and looking at her broken promise ring.

Everything was numb.

Puffy didn’t know whether she’d ever feel happy again.

She doubted it.

Her life would never be complete without Niki in it.

But Niki was  _gone_ .

* * *

After the funeral, Ranboo was tempted to talk to Puffy, seeing how sad and just,  _done_ the Captain looked. He decided against it, knowing he could reveal his biggest secret yet.

He ran down a ravine, and into broke two blocks with a diamond pickaxe. There was the tunnel. He blocked the hole back down again and ran down the corridor.

He internally admitted he felt guilty about snatching a photo of Puffy from Niki’s room, but it wasn’t exactly stealing, if the one who had taken the picture had asked him to grab it, right?

He felt the mossy walls of the stronghold, the thicker air, and sighed.

He was here.

He pulled out his map, and followed it: left, right, straight, right, right, left, right, left, straight.

He had almost memorized the path, but he didn’t trust himself to remember. 

One more left, and-

There it was. The End Portal.

Dream would actually kill him if he found out he knew about it.

He jumped into it, and landed flat on his back. 

He inhaled the familiar air (or lack thereof) and stepped up, then inhaled and teleported towards the second end portal.

He felt like his whole body was squishing together yet being stretched completely and utterly at the same time.

He looked up at the small wooden house to the side of the Ender City, and smiled subconsciously.

He jumped down, not managing to land on his feet, and walked into the small house.

“Ranboo!” a female voice exclaimed, and tackled him. “Did you get it? Did you?”

Ranboo chuckled, then held out the picture of Puffy. The burns on the side of her face seemed more prominent then ever. She rolled off him and looked at it in awe, then held it close to her chest, exhaling softly.

“Were you waiting for me?” Ranboo teased. She nodded without shame.

“Didn’t you manage to get another one?” She asked irritably.

“Hey! It took a while to get that one.” He defended. She grumbled but didn’t say anything against it. Her blue-purple eyes met his green-red ones.

“How is she?”

Ranboo sighed. “Not good. She misses you, you know.”

Niki Nihachu sighed. “Yeah, I know.”


	2. Gonna miss me when I'm gone.

Puffy was done.

She was so, extremely, very, done.

Everyone shot her looks. Whether quizzical, accusatory, pitying, it didn’t matter. She was still the gossip of the town.

She glared at whoever was brave/stupid enough to loudly talk behind her back, and they ceased immediately. That didn’t stop the rumors flying around.

_ Isn’t that the girl who killed her girlfriend? _

_It’s the girl that killed Dream!_

_I wonder who she’ll do in next.._

Had Niki been present, there would be no rumors flying around, and Niki herself would make sure of it. 

But.

Niki wasn’t here. Nor was she ever going to be. 

Puffy started losing sleep, opting to sit outside and read a book or stare at the constellation, convincing herself that everything had just been a nightmare and Niki would be there with a big smile on her face and Puffy’s heart would stutter, and they’d lean in, and-

_ Stop. _ Puffy told herself.  _ Just stop. You’re going to torture yourself if you keep thinking like this. _

_**There’s an alternate world where you and Niki live happily ever after** _ , a voice inside would snarl.

_** And you’re not in it ** _ , said another,  laughing at her weakness. 

Puffy started noticing things about the other L’manbergians: they never wanted to stay in the same room with her, avoided eye contact when possible. Even Tubbo, her little brother, avoided her as much as possible.

Slowly, the life started sapping out of the place. It didn’t feel complete. They were one L’manbergian down.

She found herself talking to Ghostbur more often. Despite having a rivalry with Alivebur (despite not having actually  _ met _ Alivebur), mainly for their crushes on Niki. Ghostbur liked talking with her, said it made him feel like he was talking to Niki again, which made Puffy swallow down the urge to lash out at him for no reason. She found herself holding her tongue way more often than usual, opting to just let people talk. Often, she tuned them out.

It was only when her little brother slammed the door after talking with her, that Puffy knew what would be better to do. What would be better for all of them, including herself.

She slowly made the way towards one of the cliffs. She appreciated nature more, taking every step delicately and deliberately, careful not to miss or forget a single thing when she was one.

“ _When I’m gone,”_ She started singing. _“When I’m gone~, you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.”_

She finally made it to the cliff. She looked down. The drop would surely kill her. She smiled at the thought, maybe it was twisted.

_You’re gonna miss me by my hair._ She remembered ~~and missed~~ running her hand through Niki’s long hair, braiding it until finally she fell asleep.

_ You’re gonna miss me everywhere, _ She remembered  ~~ and missed ~~ everything about Niki’s fragrance, the cute little accent (when Niki accidentally said ‘w’ instead of ‘r’, it was so cute!), warm and sometimes fiery eyes, catching immediately when something was off. The way she would tuck her hair behind her ear, when she wore that stupid beanie for a week, that night when they both swapped clothes. 

Everything about her was perfect. And she missed it.

She missed it so very much.

She smiled at the thought of running a hand through Niki’s hair again, that soft, warm smile. 

Which made her all the more sure of her decision.

_ When I’m gone _

She stepped – two paces, three paces, four paces, five – backwards.

_ When I’m gone _

She inhaled, took one last look at L’manberg’s walls, where Niki’s everything had used to be, and then looked forwards and let out a breath.

_ You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone _

She ran forwards.

_ You’re gonna miss me by my walk. _

She couldn’t control her legs. She was going too fast. The wind was slapping at her ears. She was going to jump. She didn’t care, the thought of being with Niki again giving her great euphoria.

_ You’re gonna miss me by my talk. _

She laughed out loud.  Everything lead up to this moment.

_ Oh, you’re sure gonna miss me when I’m gone. _

She was almost there, just another second and she would be there, in heaven, with Niki Nihachu who would be patiently waiting for her.

At least, she was before she got promptly tackled.

“Aah!” She yelped, as the two of them rolled towards the forest. Sticks and dirt and stones got stuck in Puffy’s hair, but her attention was on the person who had tackled them.

They were lying on top of Puffy, and seemed daze, but before Puffy could use that to her advantage they quickly got over their surprised stupor  and put their hands either side of Puffy’s face, effectively pinning them down under them.

Their face made Puffy’s breath hitch and her heart stop.

Niki’s face was burnt with the same burns that Tubbo had, but only on one side; on the other, however, it was completely black. Enderman level black. And were her…  _eyes glowing_ ?

“What.” Niki said, fear, disbelief and rage in her voice all at once. “Were you doing.”

Puffy could have died of happiness right then and there from the mere  _relief_ . But, disbelief outwon relief, and embarrassment outwon disbelief.

Niki was seemingly unknown of the position they were both in, and seemed in no haste to move it. 

Niki’s face was so close that Puffy could count every single constellation of stars in Niki’s eyes.

Puffy said the first thing that came to mind. She tapped Niki’s ear and said, “Pointy.”

What she received in response was a glare, to show that Niki was done with the humor.

“I-” Puffy glanced back at the cliff; it seemed impossible that she had almost lost her life there. “I was- trying to- trying to die.”

“ _Why_?” Niki’s voice was desperate, miserable, almost painful to hear. “ _Why would you do something like that_?”

Puffy locked eyes with her. 

She wanted to cause she couldn’t bear the idea to spend years without her, watching L’manberg and herself grow old, yet Niki not be there to savour it with her. Because she couldn’t go every night to an empty bed and a picture frame to keep her company. Because without Niki, Puffy was merely a Captain of a lonesome ship, with no-one to be captain to. She was nothing without Niki.

Puffy looked away. “I don’t know.”

There was a tense, stretched  silence.

In that silence, Puffy noticed all the new things about Niki – first of all, her hair was  _purple_ , and so were her eyes. There was a brand new dark purple bruise right under her eye. There were blisters along her arms, but they looked strange. Off. She was wearing a silver hoodie – Ranboo’s?

Eventually, Niki remembered the position they were in, and hastily got off her, flushing crimson and rapid-firing apologies. Puffy felt her face warm too, but tried her best to pass it off as just being warm.

Something about that though, stirred an emotion within her. Puffy pushed it down for Niki’s sake and for her own.

“Where _were_ you?” Puffy eventually broke the silence. “You were gone for 3 weeks!”

Niki flinched and looked away, like it was a sore subject. 

Puffy just grit her teeth and got up. “Come on. I’ll get you some tea, Niki. We need to _talk_."


End file.
